


Hug(s), Not For Sale

by reinasolo



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Hugs, Humor (if you squint), Just a teeny tiny hint of angst, Make Money App, This is actually a real a thing, barely a pinch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 08:50:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16807399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reinasolo/pseuds/reinasolo
Summary: Rey found him on a make cash quick and easy app.





	Hug(s), Not For Sale

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reylocalligraphy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylocalligraphy/gifts).



> Happy Birthday to the sweetest and most talented I know in the fandom [@ reylocalligraphy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylocalligraphy)

Kylo Ren  
_Male. Thirty-five years old. Business Consultant._

 **Offer** : $100 for a hug. Message me for further details.

Rey found him on a make cash quick and easy app.

The kind of app that that posted for odd jobs as opposed to a place to sell personal possessions; people looking for someone to do jobs that included cleaning apartments to yard work to doing someone’s personal errands and everything else in between. Rey always had need for extra cash and used the app more often than she liked to admit. She’d take the jobs no one else likes to take if it meant getting her college debt paid off faster.

 _Kylo Ren_. He was probably the only person on the app who stated his name in full with spaces and capitalization. There was a good chance it wasn’t even his real name, in fact it made her think of a cosplayer who creates an original character. Kylo Ren sounded like someone who belonged in a science fiction fantasy world. She pictured someone tall and well built, easy on the eyes, someone who probably wore a lot of black and wielded a specialized weapon. Maybe an antagonist, maybe he straddled the sides of good versus evil.

A hug for money isn’t unheard of it but the reality almost makes her want to cry. Who can be in such a state that they’re starved for attention, for simple, human, loving touch, that they have to pay for it? Why couldn’t he get a hug for free? There was also the defensive side of herself, the part that knew to keep her eyes open, to be watchful of trusting in situations without a lot of detail that needed to be wary.

His profile was new, showing no previous results for jobs listings or ratings and reviews. Based on the filters Rey used to find jobs they lived in the same area, but it was a big city and Kylo Ren could be anyone, someone she passes on the way to work or someone on the other side of town.

The app is 100% certified to filter out scammers and fraud, and most importantly, no illegal activity, but even then you never know who is behind a screen. Her dark warrior could easily be some fortysomething creep or a socially awkward gamer who lived in their parents basement.

There was only one way to find out.

She sent him a message.

 **reyj** : _Hi. I saw your listing. Is this for real? You’re offering that much money for a hug?_

Seven hours passed before she received a response. She tried to not let the waiting time further her opinion.

 **Kylo Ren** : The offer is very much real. $100 for a hug. At a minimum it should last a minute long and at maximum I’ll offer $50 for each additional minute to your comfort and time.

Her heart soared. It was implicitly easy. If she could hold on for three minutes she could walk away with $200. At five minutes she could get $300. Nine minutes could potentially be pushing his offer, but that kind of money for just under ten minutes of time could knock off double her bill payments for the month. She could even pocket extra for saving. He did say it would be up to her.

How had no one else jumped on this offer before now?

 **reyj** : So the additional time is based on my discretion?

 **Kylo Ren** : I’m impressed with your terminology.

 **reyj** : Your info says “Business consultant”, I had hoped to speak your language. At least a little.

 **Kylo Ren** : Are you interested?

 **reyj** : I’m interested. But I have some questions first.

 **Kylo Ren** : I am much obliged.

 **reyj** : If you keep that up with the fancy words I might just have to take my earnings and buy you dinner.

 **Kylo Ren** : Tell me more. Where would you take me?

Over the following days Rey and Kylo Ren kept talking. The more she learned about him the more her nerves settled. Getting paid to give a hug to a complete stranger was less daunting than her last job, cleaning apartments for the grubby landlord Unkar Plutt who leered at her the whole time, never seeming satisfied with the work she was doing. 

As predicted, Kylo Ren was just a username. A former identity he adapted during his college days. He explained it as an attempt to find independence from his family and to be someone different. When he needed the help his coworker suggested he signup for the app and he wasn’t sure if he should be using his real name or not. He eventually told her his real name is Ben.

Ben; thirty-five; workaholic whose free time was spent at business meetings and, if he was lucky, a good six to seven hours of sleep at night. There was much room for a personal life.

They agreed to meet at a neutral locale, a Starbucks, and decided on a time early in the morning, which was suggested by Ben so Rey would feel safer by meeting him in a crowded building. They would identify each other by the clothes they were wearing. Ben said he’d dress in a black suit, white undershirt, no tie, and Rey would wear something in blue. She picked a blue pleated skirt and matched it with a white lace top. If anyone accused her of dressing up to impress a guy she wouldn’t deny it. Someone who could afford to pay her a lot of money for a hug would probably be wearing an expensive suit and Rey didn’t want to be a bum next to him.

When Rey got to the Starbucks she immediately got in line to order. A large caramel macchiato with an extra hint of caramel, enough caffeine and the right hit of sweet to soothe her and put a smile on her face.

She surveyed the room, seeing surprisingly quite a few men in suits, but each one of them were wearing ties. She finally found him sitting alone at a table in a corner part of the room. He was typing furiously on his phone. Rey's breath hitched. Ben wasn’t far off from her ideas of Kylo Ren. He looked like he worked out, his muscles shown through the arms of his jacket, his hair was soft with a hint of curl, and he had remarkably, beaming brown eyes. She wanted to get lost in those eyes.

She took a long sip of her drink before making the final approach.

“Ben?” She asked quietly. “Or should I say Kylo Ren?”

His head snapped up toward her. For a moment he seemed affronted, as if he was interrupted when he didn’t want to be. He looked her up and down and his gaze settled on her skirt, identifying the color she told him.

“Rey,” He said and he gave her a half smile, soft but not quite taking over him. It prompted her take another shot of her drink.

She should say that it’s good to meet him, maybe bring up the long waiting line or comment on the weather or some other common conversation starter. How else did someone approach the subject of getting to the hug when it was a hug that was paid for?

Ben saved her and took initiative. He stuffed his phone in the inside of his jacket pocket and stood up from the seat. Rey quickly set her cup on the table. Ben stood tall and had to lean down towards Rey. His arms went around before she could gather her bearings. His arms slid around her back and he pulled her as close as she could get. His grip was tight but it didn’t hurt. Her head was forced to rest in the crook of his neck. They were settled and everything surrounding them echoed out, all Rey could feel was Ben. His body was stiff and desperation rolled out of him in waves; every few seconds he would try to pull her in closer. She felt bad. When was the last time he had been hugged? Suddenly the man with a nice smile from just seconds ago was gone.

She didn’t think much of it before. Ben had a hectic work schedule, there was never a moment he wasn’t busy. There wasn’t time to get that personal affection so he went about it in the only way he knew how—a business transaction.

When he was sure Rey wasn’t going anywhere, Ben relaxed.

Time between Ben and Rey continued to pass. She hadn’t counted one second, but Ben probably was. Of course he was. Someone of his caliber wouldn’t let the details slip.

Passerby’s looked at them curiously but didn’t say anything. 

Rey didn’t know who pulled away first, but when they did Ben wouldn’t look at her. He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and held it out to her.

“Your payment.”

She took the envelope in her hand and squeezed it, wishing she could crumble it all up.

It wasn’t right.

She couldn’t take the money. There would be other jobs she could look into.

She pushed the money back into his hand. Ben looked at her questioningly.

“I think you needed that hug more than I need the money.”

“Are you sure? I thought you wanted to take me out for dinner?”

Rey jumped up in excitement and wrapped her arms around his neck.

This was even better.


End file.
